War is War OOC [Closed]

[Blackrock]

>>IC THREAD<<

The year is 1342 AT and Earth is but a memory. Mankind has spread across the stars, ever expanding, ever hungrier for resources. The planets that were once colonies to the lost cradle of humanity are now nations in their own right. Two major powers emerged from the chaos, that engulfed the scattered planets, some five hundred years ago. The Terran League and the United Planets. Two powers with endless ambition and drive for dominance over Earth's lost children. It came as no surprise when these two nations finally clashed, almost three centuries ago.

You, however, do not care for that, as it was before your time. You, and millions like you, are merely the product of a three-hundred year old conflict. You are a member of the United Planet's Legion, the best military force humanity has ever seen. You left your old life behind when you signed the papers. Whether it was out of a sense of duty, a desire to seek fame and respect, a means by which to advance your civilian career or to avoid the law - it makes no matter. You are now a soldier and certain things are expected of you. First, you will show no fear; you will not stain the Legion's name with cowardice or desertion on the field. Second, you will obey orders without a doubt, even if it means your death. And third, you will watch your comrades' backs, as they watch yours.

All this and other things you hear as you nervously sit in the dropship. Below is the planet of Alexandria, named after two of mankind's greatest generals - Alexander the Great and Alexander Suvorov. To your left and right, strapped in their seats as you are, countless other recruits can be seen. The gruff sergeant continues with his speech. You are the lowliest of the low, you cannot yet consider yourself a true Legionary. You are cannon fodder and your worth will be proven if you survive.

Below is Alexandria, where thousands of soldiers, from both the UP and TL, die every day. Where thousands more are maimed and crippled for life. You are a Legion Recruit and your average life expectancy is 24 hours. Armed with only a second-hand rifle and your wits, you are expected to survive the bloodbath below. Suddenly, you hear a deafening explosion, less than a second later the impact follows, rocking the ship.

You know that this was one of the other transports, shot down and dragging a hundred others just like you to their deaths. 2 minutes! the sergeant roars and you know it is time.

Alexandria awaits, are you ready?

Hello and welcome to the OOC!

This is a RP dealing with a futuristic, military-themed setting, as you can tell from the introduction above. As our characters will be members of the same squad, it will also require a good deal of collaboration, bear that in mind. While you remain within the confines of this thread, I will be your host, mentor and god. So feel free to send any questions, concerns or suggestions you have my way, either by PM, MSN or the thread itself.

Application

This is IMPORTANT! All character sheets (CS), whether of new or old players, are to be sent to me first via a PM. After I read through them and give my approval can you post them here.

Here is the template for the CS, you can be as thorough as you like; but I won't accept five or six sentences jumbled together.

Code:


[b][u]Name[/u][/b]
[b]Full Name:[/b](Include your character's full name here. Name, surname and other such. Eveyrthing goes, as humanity has mixed in and both sides are an amalgam of cultures.)
[b]Use Name:[/b](Whatever name your character answers to. Be it first name or an alias.)
[b]Player:[/b](Your FOG user name, just for reference.)

[b][u]Apperance and Gender[/u][/b]
[b]Gender:[/b](Male or female, obviously. Note: female soldiers are hailed as heroes within the Legion, despite their large number)
[b]Height and Build:[/b](Your character's height, as well as physical build. You can use either metric or imperial units, I'm fairly flexible.) 
[b]Physical Description:[/b](Describe your character. Eyes, facial structure, distinctive marks, scars, etc. Pictures are optional, but a written description is a [b]must[/b]!)
[b]Equipment:[/b](Uniform, weapons, armour, as well as any misc items carried by your character. Check below to see what your character has access to.)

[b][u]Skills & Personality[/u][/b]
[b]Desired Role:[/b] (State what role your character is going to take in the squad. It's only one role per squad, apart from rifleman.)
[b]Skills:[/b](The skills your character posesses. This can include natural talents, such as keen eyes, as well as proficiencies acquired during training, such as hand-to-hand combat.)
[b]Personality:[/b](Basically, describe the psychological side of your character. Any noteworthy strengths and weaknesses of character go here.)

[b][u]Biography[/u][/b]
(You can add pretty much anything here. Where you character was born, in what family, where did they study (if they did), how they came to join the Legion and so forth. A note on homeplanets: your character can come from anywhere in United Planets space. The most obvious choice is a thoroughly colonised world, although they may have grown up in a remote outpost or some such. If you chose the former, keep in mind that the planet will be similar to Earth, in terms of climate, etc.)


Before you apply, however, are you sure this is the RP for you? Check these rules to find out.

Rules

1) I will make this quite clear. As the GM, I have complete authority over everything that goes on within this thread and the IC one. My decision is final and it is not negotiable. However, I am always willing to listen and am open to new ideas, so talk to me! If you have a problem, I am sure we can work together to solve it.

2) No drama. This RP will require a good deal of joint-effort, so if you're the type of person who can't make a compromise for the sake of the group, this isn't the place for you. Furthermore, as mentioned above - if you have any issues: SPEAK UP! Don't grumble quietly in the dark. I take offense very hard, so you can be certain that I'll listen to the even the most devastating bit of criticism.

3) Actions have consequences. This is fairly simple, but keep it in mind. Unlike other types of RP's, we aren't playing the heroes here. Our characters are very much like us and they are just as fragile and mortal as we are.

4) No rush; long-attention span; well-thought out posts. They go hand in hand and are also quite important. Nobody is in a hurry to finish this, consider yourselves warned! This means that we will most likely not be done with this in quite some time. If you cannot find it in yourself to do that, please do not apply. Losing a member mid-way can be devastating, especially for a close-knit group. And finally, since things will be going slow, don't feel pressured with your posts. Work on them, polish them, do as you see fit. An extra week or two won't hurt anyone.

5) As is already quite clear - if you're looking for one man armies, you've come to the wrong place. Our guys will be simple, they will be ordinary and there will be a million others like them out there. These nobodies will have to rely on each other to survive, no heroics here.

6) Mature setting. War is a nasty business, probably the worst humanity has managed to think of. As such, this RP is aimed at those who can stomach such things. There will be blood, deaths, pieces of people will be flying all over the place. Soldiers will swear and curse, they will do unworthy, deprived things if pushed against the wall. If any of this offends you, then you have been warned.

With that out of the way, feel free to read below and find out more about the setting...

[Blackrock]

Below you will find information about the setting - the major powers at play, the background story, technology and planets. It should be known that all of this is primary a rough sketch, nothing is fully fleshed out as we are only going to focus on a very, very, small percentage of the galaxy. As such, when working on your character sheets, feel free to add in names, places, planets; use what's provided as a guideline, don't restrict yourself to it.

Index: (use Ctrl+F and type in the code, the word in brackets, of the topic you want to find)
1. History [HST]
2. Factions [FCTS]
3. Technology [TCHL]
4. Equipment [EQP]
5. Alexandria [ALX]
6. Roles [RLS]
7. GM's notes [NTS]
8. Character Sheets [CSS]

HISTORY [HST]


Earth's End

In 4115 AD Earth had reached the apex of its power. It boasted some forty fully settled colony worlds, along with a number of smaller outposts and research facilities. Many of the planets were rich in natural resources - everything from energy sources to precious metals fueled Earth's economy. Indeed, many claimed that the first true Golden Age of all mankind had begun. Unemployment was at an all time low; the standard of living was high across the board; racial tensions which had plagued humanity for a millenia were finally receding. While the countries of Earth never managed to become one, culturally or politically, they had elected the Council of Galactic Development (CDG). Its purpose was to serve as Earth's representative, to both the colonies and, one day, other civilisations.

On the colonies things were slightly different. Each planet had a government of its own, subjugated to the CGD, and was only one political unit. Often nations from Earth would finance various colonies, either with supplies or settlers, but after a few centuries all such racial and cultural differences faded away. Trade between the colonies themselves wasn't as lucrative. Not only were they weighted down by taxes, most of the jumpgate routes had been, cleverly, placed to pass through Earth. It wasn't a perfect situation, but it was widely agreed that the utopia which had been conceived by ancient philosophers was finally dawning.

All that changed when, one day, all contact with Earth was lost. The jumpgates were sealed off, no outbound communication was detected and none of the signals sent were answered. The centered nature of human government was sorely felt. Information networks, trade lanes, data logs - everything passed through Earth. When the center collapsed, so did the entire system. Colonies found themselves cut off from the rest of the galactic community. Those who had jumpgates with one another could not use them as, again, all access codes passed through Earth's systems. As with all great empires in human history, the greatest moment lasted only long enough to savour it....then it was lost forever.

A New Dark Age

In the following decades humanity struggled to rebuild what was lost. One by one the colonies began establishing contacts with neighbouring planets, those who had jumpgates were the quickest to succeed. Local networks were set up, information and resources began flowing again. Once that was dealt with, each group of planets focused their efforts on contacting those colonies further away. New jumpgates were built, messages were sent to more distant outposts. It wasn't long before the scattered worlds got back on their feet.

Having tasted freedom, being in full control for more than a century, the colonies weren't eager to bring back the old system. They no longer wanted to be just colonies. With their homeworld lost, this gave ambitious political leaders the perfect opportunity to secure independence for their planets. As such, in 4222 AD the Treaty of Planetary Freedom (TPF) or simply "the Treaty" for short, was signed. This marked the end of an era and as such, a new reckoning of years began. After Treaty (AT) and Before Treaty (BT).

According to the Treaty the colony status of all worlds, outposts and facilities was abolished. All those who signed it became sovereign nations, having the right to raise a military, make their own laws and set prices on imports and exports. Drawing inspiration from Earth, a council of sorts was founded, where each planet was represented. The hope of some was to create a true galactic government, but no person or organisation had the means to secure enough support. As such, while the council gathered regularly to discuss matters of importance - such as new jumpgate routes, settling new worlds and so forth; it did not pack any real political sway.

Only after the Treaty was signed and put to practice were the former colonies willing to investigate Earth. Probes were sent in the vicinity of humanity's native solar system, to gather information and, most of all, to activate the jumpgates. About a year later, in 3 AT, one of the probes sent a positive signal and activated one of the blocked trade routes. Ships full of experts were soon sent and the investigation began in earnest.

They discovered a dead planet. The old Earth was no more, what remained was a barren wasteland with no signs of life. Cities, architectural wonders...everything which was a fact in human life was gone. The outposts on the nearby planets were deserted, their personnel dead due to lack of resources sent from Earth. There was no explanation as to what had caused the cataclysm. No logs, no messages, nothing. Everything had just disappeared. Some claim that a nuclear war broke out, either due to a sudden change in the political climate; or, the more probable, as a result of terrorist intervention. Others believe that some natural disaster occurred, while others have gone as far as to say that an alien civilisation is the cause. Disputes carry on to this day, in different scientific circles - from historians to molecular physicists.

The other facilities were still in place, mostly untouched, but with all the defensive protocols active. That is why the jumpgates had been sealed off, as well as incoming and outgoing signals being blocked. The technicians in the expedition quickly began work on Jumpstation Alpha, the hub of all jumpgate routes. As such, within a few months many old shipping lanes were open to public use once more. This further revitalised the improving economy of many worlds and provided opportunities for new alliances and agreements to take place.

The "New Dark Age" was over.

Divided Again

The next few centuries saw little change in the political theatre. The power vacuum persisted and the would-be players were building up their strength. During all this the military, those parts stationed away from Earth, remained detached from the changes taking place. After the communications break down, those sectors were armed forces were concentrated were quickly put under martial law. However, the military stayed away from political matters and as such, the "martial colonies" had no problems in signing the Treaty.

As time went on, the security measures lowered, until all signs of martial law were gone. Many assumed that this was the beginning of the end for Earth's former military. Already many private security firms were offering their services, firms which were deemed to be far better than the "outdated and cumbersome" military. However, what they failed to notice was that, over time, government and military had become one. Already many of the political leaders of the colonies in question were marshals and generals. In other parts of human space, a similar thing was happening.

Large, private corporations were growing ever closer to their governments. They funded public projects, often supported candidates in elections and, it came as no surprise, when corporate employees became government officials. The network of such organisation become larger and it was not long before they officially declared their position.

The Alliance for Cooperation and Development (ACD) was formed by five solar systems or more precisely - the companies that owned them. The lower trade prices, shared technology and "no-strings attached" attitude quickly drew many other worlds into the alliance. In the mean time, the planets which were rich in metals banded together and formed the Miner's Guild. An organisation which evolved rapidly and soon had a monopoly on minerals and ores found in known space. Leaders from both groups saw the potential boons of a merge between the two. The ACD with their advanced technology and large financial base; and the Guild which had an ample amount of resources. A couple of other independent planets, industrial powerhouses, saw the benefit of this union and were quick to join the new organisation.

As a result, the Terran League (TL) was born in 643 AT. A soon-to be nation which focused on sovereign, but closely connected (politically and economically) worlds, a free market and many privately-funded projects. For a time it seemed that the scales had shifted in favour of the League and that they would soon be in control of human space. However, the creation of the TL sparked a reaction that became evident two years later - in 645 AT.

The United Planets (UP) was formed. The military structures which were already reliant on each other to begin with, finally laid down their cards. Planets which had been under the military's protection during that time became part of the union as well. A council of high-ranking officers were formed, they would decide the fate of their new nation. The UP made ample use of their structured chain of command and disciplined forces. They quickly seized control of privately owned companies and installations and put them under their jurisdiction. A close watch was kept on all facilities and a planned economy began to be applied.

Suddenly, humanity found itself split once more. While there were some independent planets remaining, the majority were either TL or UP. The players were clear, it was only a matter of time before the conflict would begin.

The Calm Before the Storm

In the years following the founding of the two powers, things remained relatively quiet. Trade continued, information flowed freely, the nations were focusing on internal matters. Each was building up their strength - political, economical and military. Curiosity is part of man's nature, however, and it was not surprising that both sides continued looking for those remote outposts lost a long time ago.

One such voyage, that later became known as the Mendeleev Accident, resulted in the first clash between the two powers. Exploring the Mendeleev Nebula, named after the great scientist, a UP and a TL ship met. It was a common occurrence and it would not warrant any further thought, but circumstances dictated otherwise. Firstly, both ships had been warned of freelance vessels in the area, often piloted by so-called "space-pirates"; secondly - as scouting crafts, neither of the ships had an ID number. That is why when the UP officer demanded that the other identify themselves, his TL colleague refused and demanded that they provide identification. A fight ensured which ended in defeat for the TL, owed to the UP's advanced weapon technologies and skilled personnel. Upon learning of the accident, both sides were quick to cover it up and announced that a TL ship was lost "due to lack of communication". This took place in 710 AT.

Twenty-five years later, in 735 AT, the second "accident" took place. The small, lifeless planet, simply named MO78 (Military Outpost 78) is where it occurred. A team of UP soldiers had been tasked with gaining access to the abandoned outpost and securing any information found there. In the mean time, their ship would scour the rest of the system. Using experimental cloaking technology, a TL ship arrived in orbit. This meant that only the most thorough scans would allow another vessel, such as the UP ship, to identify them. The ground team had no way of knowing unless it passed directly above them.

When the TL force approached the outpost, the UP soldiers where in the midst of their investigation. None of the officers leading the group were willing to back down - both claimed that as humans, it was part of their historical heritage. And so a gunfight broke out, outnumbered the UP were overwhelmed, but not before they managed to send a distress signal. Their carrier ship was quick to respond and when it arrived it chased off the TL forces, both from ground and orbit.

This time, the scale was too large and the witnesses were too many to avoid the media's attention. Accusations and insults were thrown, fingers were pointed. Some were quick to jump at the UP and their military, claiming that "the generals were all too eager to unleash their frenzied hounds". Others blamed the TL for using the "experiment" without prior warning. The cooler minds would point out that the fault was in the unwillingness of both sides to share high-priority information. Regardless, reparations were paid and matters were settled. But the rift opened between the two never closed again.

The next few centuries saw a gradual change in the political situation. Skirmishes became more common and didn't cause the same sensation they did years ago. Communication lessened, cooperation became non-existent. Trade was greatly diminished, with both sides enforcing a fierce protectionism. On the independent worlds things began spiraling out of control, with everything from police states to communist utopias coming one after the other. This provided ample opportunity for weapon and technology testing for both sides and as a result, a lot of proxy wars took place. Relations had cooled down to such a point that the flow of information between the UP and TL eventually stopped.

All the while, both these powers were busy within their own borders. Racism, bigotry, xenophobia - all these companions of the early human civilisation hadn't been seen in more than a thousand years. And yet, the government of the UP successfully managed to rekindle it with their mass propaganda. A near-fanatic nationalism was the result, where each individual saw the duty to their nation above all other. Where everything foreign was shunned and frowned upon. On the other side of the curtain, the TL were no less successful. The UP were described as war-mongering, with old beliefs and values, little more than barbarians.

This was done quite intentionally as the leaders of that time foresaw the conflict that was to come. The course of both countries' politics was set, in the following centuries they would finally meet head-on.

The War

In 1011 AT the independent world of Thrace became a catalyst that would set the whole galaxy aflame. A recent coup had taken place in 1009 AT, putting a rather xenophobic party at the helm of the country. The Terran League had secretly backed them, with two reasons in mind. Firstly, UP trade ships often passed this way, stopping to reprovision as they made their way to to industrial centers such as Alexandria and the like. And secondly, it gave the TL a solid enough reason to invade one day, to serve as "liberators" of the planet. What happened, however, was something unexpected.

Within the first few months 6 UP trade ships, mostly with civilian personnel, were destroyed by Thrace's planetary defense force. Instead of threats, as was expected, the UP sent its Fifth Fleet and destroyed everything orbiting the planet. The TL expressed their disdain publicly, stating that they would support the people of Thrace if need be. The UP's answer was shocking: Terran League forces had one standard Earth month to withdraw from non-TL space or face destruction. Not willing to back down, the TL refused.

That is how the war began. Thrace was the first victim - it suffered through a devastating barrage of orbital bombardment, which destroyed more than 90% of its population and ruined all urban areas. All along the "frontier" (relatively speaking, as those traditional terms were hard to apply in space) the last free worlds were gobbled up one after the other, either by the TL or UP. Some came peacefully, others were coerced and some were outright occupied.

In 1012 AT the galaxy exploded in a conflict that had no equal in human history. Many compared it to the ancient World War II, but even that was only a fraction, a single world, compared to the chaos the engulfed human space. The UP were quick on the offensive. Using elite strike teams to destroy crucial installations and then using the might of their fleet to mop up disjointed TL forces. Thanks to their discipline, long martial traditions, and fanatical nationalism, they rolled through any opposition.

The Terran League's armed forced could not keep up with their UP counterparts. Often they were simply planetary-wide security firms, with a high standard of training, but no experience in leading wide-scale military operations. However, the TL had something in abundance - money. Offering a handsome sum to anyone willing to take up arms, they managed to field a large amount of mercenaries and militia in a short time. Revolutions and freedom movements were funded throughout UP space. What's more, some less-loyal officers of the UP were swayed by promises of power and monetary gain. Unlike other examples in history, however, the TL proved up to the task and actually kept their promises.

All this meant that by 1015 AT the UP's offensive was halted. It was assumed that a counter-attack would follow and that it would end the world with a ceasefire. Instead, the two powers surprised mankind once again. A series of bloody battles, both space and planetside, took place. Battles and campaigns which would drag on for decades, even centuries. Both nations were now committed to a total war. Military historians were stunned as "modern warfare" had long ago abandoned the idea of battles on such a scale.

The next push came in 1017 AT, when the UP launched strong attacks against a couple of systems. Fleet combat was fierce, as the TL had quickly set up a fairly effective automated defense system, and on the ground the defenders were dug in deep. But the United Planet's Legion was relentless and slowly, but steadily the TL planets fell one by one. When the first phase of the fighting was done more than 20% of TL space had now been occupied by the UP.

The next century was a time of skirmishes and preparation. All that changed in 1120 AT when the TL launched a devastating counter-attack, the fruit of a few generations' worth of labour. Thanks to new advances in weapons and defensive technology, the TL managed to gain a major advantage over their enemies. Even the bravest of UP commanders were forced to admit that retreating was necessary.

80 years later, in 1200 AT, TL troops set foot in native UP space. Already the war was shifting in their favour, as their economical strength was not nearly as depleted as that of the UP. In fact, they were slowly beginning to turn a profit and began devoting time and resources to other areas. The UP, on the other hand, were now at the peak of their capacity. What they lacked in technology, they made up in numbers, as the most populated planets in human space belonged to them.

Over the next hundred years, the TL slowly pushed deeper and deeper in UP territory. The fighting, especially ground-side, was fierce. Often times it would continue after thorough orbital bombing, the defenders not willing to back down. However, such practices became rare, as the TL were already setting their sights on putting the conquered worlds to use. Nobody needed a ruined wasteland, akin to the ill-fated planets such as Earth and Thrace.

In 1300 AT the glory of the United Planets was a distant memory, kept alive only by propaganda and blind nationalism. Down to less than 50% of their original territories, the country steadily began going downhill. Their famed soldiers enjoyed less and less training and the equipment provided became of ever worsening quality. As a result, they now field poorly trained and badly armed troops.

For some twenty years there was relative quiet, broken only by the regular (now a fact of life) skirmishes and battles for distant outposts. In 1321 AT the TL made the next push. This time the front had moved to crucial UP planets, industrial and population centers, such as Alexandria. After more than ten years of campaigning, they were beaten back. This gave some hope to the battered UP, but it would not last long.

At the beginning of the new decade, 1340 AT, the TL launched their next, and some would claim decisive, attack. The planets who had just begun rebuilding what was lost became a battlefield once more.

The year is now 1342 AT and the situation for the UP is grimmer than ever...



FACTIONS [FCTS]


Terran League

The League is a gathering of planet-wide companies and combines, closely connected with one another, but largely independent. They promote free thought and a high standard of education, offering plenty of job opportunities to those who've graduated. They have a wide range of interests, from mining to nanotechnology. Their society is structured around a free market, of both goods and specialists, and many privately-funded and owned research stations scattered across the galaxy.

Each planet has its own government, often the same as the leading body of the dominant firm (with only a few exceptions). In turn, the governments/companies have a representative on an interplanetary council, which is tasked with taking nation-wide decisions. The local governments take care of their population - providing free public schooling, extensive social security and top-notch health-care system. All this has created a refined population, with a high standard of living and perfect professionalism.

Their military evolved from private security firms and mercenary companies. As a result, being a soldier is viewed as a job and not a calling. This has lead to a well-drilled, professional army with access to advanced technology. They typically employ smaller units that focus on specific targets and rely on state of the art communications technology to keep in touch. Their ships, even the capital ones, are smaller and less awe-inspiring than those of their enemy. The advantage of this is that they are far more maneuverable and most employ a cloaking technology (which makes them "invisible" to most long and short range scanners), allowing them to strike at the most vulnerable spots.

Their colours are traditionally grey and white, that is what uniforms their troops wear. (apart from special teams) The banner of the League is composed of 12 planets, the original creators of the Alliance and a nod to an ancient union on Earth, on a field of white. The insignias on their troops are a stylised version of the flag, accompanied by the mark of their respective unit.

United Planets

The United Planets were founded by the military and they have continued being the backbone of the nation to this day. Unlike their enemies in the TL, their planets are rigidly bound in a clear military, political and economical structure. A planned economy means that often times, different worlds rely on their neighbours to produce whatever they lack. This has created castes that are traditionally skilled in one industrial aspect and as such, the quality is always above average. However, the downside is that every lost planet sends ripples across society and is sorely felt.

Their leading body, the Board of Marshals, is composed of what the name implies - about a dozen or so marshals, along with admirals and supporting generals. It is their task to devise long-term strategies for military as well economical goals. It is then passed on to bodies lower down the chain of command, so information is always kept track of and rarely lost. This ensures an effective information network, often times resulting in the front-line fighters receiving orders "directly from the brass" almost within a day.

Much like administration, civilian life is neatly structured and controlled. Education is free and obligatory. All children after age 6 attend the so called General School for a period of four years. There they are taught to read and write, as well as basic mathematical and physical principles. After that they can chose between the advanced schools. There exist mainly two types of such schools: military and civilian. The civilian ones are then further divided into specialised facilities where the young generation is prepared to undertake the various task that keep the nation alive. After 8 years they graduate and can chose between a small amount of professions in their field. Those who've preformed well are sent on to study in universities, but again they have little say in the matter.

The military schools are, similarly, divided in various categories and branches. Not everyone can enter, as prospective boys and girls need to demonstrate a level of physical and mental sturdiness. During the education process, those with lesser scores are sent in other directions - some to sergeant schools and others straight to the front. Those that remain graduate, in eight years, as candidate-officers. They have a chance to join the Reserve (despite the desperate times, a wide-scale mobilisation has yet to take place) and continue on with civilian jobs, but most continue on to the Battle School. After four years they graduate as junior lieutenants.

Not surprisingly, being a soldier is seen as a sacred duty to one's nation. The men taking up arms in defense of the country are hailed as heroes, even though they enjoy no such privileges. The United Planets' Legion prides itself on being an all-volunteer force, not one soldier has been conscripted. Even though they are hard pressed from all sides, the government has yet to resort to such measures, being fully aware of the morale drop that would inflict.

The society as a whole is based around the ideal of the country, the nation. Each man and woman puts the duty to that ideal above all else, even themselves. This nationalism has created a people that work and die together, united with a near-unbreakable chain: the love for the nation. The military doubles as a police force, as such - crimes are often punished quite severely. Many criminals are sent to labour camps, the most socially unacceptable are executed. However, in keeping with the spirit of the nation, convicts are given the choice to join penal companies instead. Those who serve faithfully are pardoned and regain their place in society. In fact, some of the greatest feats of the Legion have been preformed by such men.

Likewise, those working in the civilian branch can join the Legion at any time. The initial period is a term of two years, after which they can either return to their ordinary lives or continue a career in the army. During this time, their job is saved for them, thus a retired veteran can never find themselves unemployed. Many of the Legion's fighting men are exactly volunteers, most haven't been to military schools. They receive only the briefest of training, a period of six months and are sent to the front. Despite the ongoing propaganda, the Board of Marshals understand the dire situation they are in and every able body is quickly sent to fill the gap.

To ensure that they have a balanced fighting force, regiments are often a mixture of volunteers and graduates (or dropouts, to be precise) of the various military schools. However, there are a handful of elite units completely made up of properly trained troops. A memory of the glory that once was, these men can, more or less, stand up to the much better equipped TL soldiers. Unfortunately for the Legion, the number of elite regiments is ever decreasing.

The colours of the United Planets are black and red, with the former being the dominant. Their banner is a single planet, encircled by a golden wreath of laurels on a black-red field. The uniforms carried by their troops are black, with a few special units boasting some crimson. The recruits wear green uniforms, that is why they are jokingly called "Greens".

TECHNOLOGY [TCHL]

Jumpgates -> Called such because they allow one to travel vast distances almost instantly, "jumping" between one point and another. Like many great human inventions, it was discovered by accident and is still not completely understood to this day. "Jumping" tech, or Particle-Fueled Travel (PFT) as it is known in scientific circles, relies on the properties of elementary particles. The principle behind it is murky at best. It is generally agreed that since certain particles defy the laws of physics for a brief moment of time, if charged and accelerated sufficiently, they can be sent to a specified point in space. However, anomalies tend to happen and scientists are still far from comprehending all aspects of this technology.

A jumpgate is a ring-shaped structure, made of various alloys, which projects a particle-accelerating field. It is connected to another ring, thus forming a tunnel of sorts between the two. When a ship passes through, its particles are charged and propelled to the other side. The second ring is responsible for generating the "breaks", a different field which absorbs the kinetic energy of the ship. Naturally, there is a certain risk involved, as not all particles may end up evenly-charged or directed to the exact same place. However, over the years, scientists and technicians have refined the jumpgate technology and it is now almost risk-free. Almost - something which every pilot painfully remembers before passing through the ring.

Jumpgates have got a major advantage or disadvantage, depending on how one looks at it. For the tunnel to be stable, corrections need to be made throughout the short journey. This is handled by computers, which can make split-second decisions. In the event of an emergency, both computers lockdown the gates, by deactivating the fields. The two machines monitor one another and disengage the field only when both have locked their ring. In practice, this means that unwanted visitors can't be stopped from using the jumpgate, as it has to be closed from both sides. Ideas, such as turning off the absorbing field, have been suggested, but the consequences at such high speeds can be catastrophic. In the war, this has proved to be a huge problem for both factions, as such jumpgates leading to enemy systems are heavily guarded.

Weapons-> Not surprisingly, PFT technology found other applications. The first of which, in keeping with humanity's spirit, was warfare. Instead of focusing on the "jumping" aspect, military technicians devoted and refined the acceleration capabilities of a particle. The result were the first PFT rifles. The benefits were many - no special ammunition was needed, as every piece of metal propelled at such a speed could penetrate most commonly seen armour; due to the high speed of the projectile, factors such as wind and distance no longer had the same bearing on the overall trajectory of the shot; in general, all that meant less finances had to be spent on training and outfitting soldiers.

There was one drawback - the accelerator didn't charge the particle instantly. It resulted in soldiers having to aim, shoot and hold the rifle still for a few more moments. While it was a major problem, in the following years scientists managed to overcome it. And the success of such weapons are so great that they continue to be used to this day. They come in different scales, from hand-held guns to starship canons.

Currently, there is talk of laser weapons being developed by the Terran League. Such an idea is not new to mankind, far from it, but the source to produce such power had yet to be found. Apparently, the industrious scientists working under the TL's wing have managed to come with a solution. The result is that some elite squads of League soldiers have brought this experimental technology on the field with them. For the United Planets, such a thing is completely out of reach.

Armour-> Naturally, when weapons advanced, so did armour. To this day, most designs are a closely guarded secret, but what is known is that they are based on metal alloys, ceramic plates (not unlike those seen in the early 21st century) and complex polymers. One of the key concepts is that, due to the PFT leap, armour now had to absorb the shock of the impact at a sub-atomic level. By creating new alloys, with modified crystal structures, military engineers were able to create an armour vest that could effectively stop a PFT projectile. Instead of aiming to deflect or negate the energy of the shot, the new armours merely "trapped" it in their structure. As a result, while the vest may be pierced, the shot won't reach the soldier on the other side.

Early models were heavy and cumbersome, but as new, lighter alloys were discovered, the armour became more and more flexible and convenient to use. Of course, no vest can offer a full guarantee that it will stop a shot. It depends on distance, point of impact and no small amount of luck. The current armour used by both sides, however, remains fairly effective and it is an asset to every soldier on the field.

The new laser weapons the Terran League brought to bear make short work of any models of United Planet's armour. Seeing as the "projectile" is completely different, the whole concept is powerless to stop the concentrated energy of such a shot. Squads that have made contact with League laser-bearers have been completely devastated, bringing in reports of rays that passed "like a hot knife through butter".

Similarly, the TL have also developed new, experimental armour that is reputed to be able to stop both a traditional PFT shot and a laser one. The concept relies on a series of force fields, that absorb and completely negate the energy of either shot. While such "field armours" have rarely been seen, UP soldiers unlucky enough to meet them have claimed that "it was as pointless as shooting at a tank".

Medicine -> Like many other aspects of life, medicine too has come a long way since man first set foot outside their native planet. Thanks to advances on all fronts, the diseases and viruses which were the bane of humanity in ancient times have been completely wiped off. This is owed as much to scientific advancements, as well as colonisation as a whole. It was common for early waves of space explorers to notice that some earth-born viruses killed themselves off with the native life forms of new planets. The result is that most sicknesses are easily curable and the average life-span has gradually increased.

Other things which were once little more than dreams are now solid reality. Limb loss, for one, is no longer quite as crippling. Prostheses of various shapes and sizes exist. Ranging from fairly simple ones all the way to "smart" models, that have the complete functionality of the lost limb. However, the former are far too expensive to be affordable to most people, especially in the United Planets.

Injury treatment on the field has also become more reliable. There are various serum shots that can get a dying man on his feet and into the fray again. A multitude of pastes and ointments which are used to close wounds or accelerate the rate of healing. Not to mention a whole different assortment of chemicals that are used once the injured is transported to a medical facility.

AI -> Despite the efforts of many generations, the artificial intelligence so sought and feared (depending on who you ask) by humanity has yet to be discovered. Different theories and methods have been applied - special, human-like, electronic brains; immensely powerful systems that were supposed to have the capacity to go beyond some threshold and achieve awareness. None of them have worked.

However, computers have much improved and are nearly "alive". Like all things, the most expensive ones have the capacity to preform almost all actions a human can do. Of course, the main thing lacking is creativity. No matter how many millions of probable situations are stored, their processing units cannot comprehend situations outside their set parameters. Newer technology focuses on machines performing meaningful analysis depending on present data, so that they can take independent decisions. This idea is still in infancy, as again - the situations that can arise cannot always be predicted.

Despite that, specialised systems are seen in all aspects of life. From the traditional "calculator" used by scientists to do the number-crunching, to tracking systems used by snipers.

EQUIPMENT [EQP]

On both sides of the fence, the standard issue gear is mostly the same for the common soldier. They are armed with a PFR, Particle-Fueled Rifle, a common but trusty weapon nonetheless. It is easy to take apart, clean and repair; furthermore parts are interchangeable between different units. The stock is specially reinforced so it can serve as a last-resort close-quarter weapon. In addition, soldiers are provided a bayonet, which can be detached and doubles as a knife. Some squads, especially League ones, are given side-arms, but it is too much for the United Planet's economy to support on a wide scale. The current model Legion forces use is the PFR-15, "Defender", one of the most successful in the series. Their counterparts in the Terran League are armed with the PFR-18, "Guardian", an improved model which has better accuracy and is less prone to jamming.

Snipers are armed with a modified version of the standard PFR-15/18. A scope is attached. It comes along with an integrated guiding-tracking system, which provides the marksman with various feedback, such as distance and weather conditions. In addition, the barrel is longer and a few adjustments have been made to the propelling system. Thus, they are more accurate and have a longer range than the standard models. The League is liberal with the modifications, providing top-notch gear for their snipers; the Legion, on the other hand, outfit them with the most basic of necessities, and a would-be sniper really has to prove the worth of their shot before receiving one.

Heavy weapons teams are armed with a PFR-15H, a heavier version of the standard rifle. It features a bigger clip and barrel, but functions in the exact same way. The result is that it can fire projectiles with greater mass, capable of penetrating modern vehicle armour. They also have access to grenades, that work on the same PF principle. The difference is that the accelerator is intentionally overloaded, causing it to burst into a deadly storm of shrapnel.

The armour issued consists of a helmet, breastplate, shoulder pads, elbow and knee guards worn over the standard combat jumpsuit. In addition, protective goggles are provided to serve in tandem with the helm. They protect one from debris, stray shots and pieces of shrapnel, as well being covered in a 3-in-1 protective film - anti-sun, anti-fog and anti-UV. Despite being made of special, hardened plastic they should not be expected to stop a PFR shot. A balaclava is added to the kit, to protect the bottom parts of the face from the environment. However, its use is not required by military regulations. Depending on which side they represent, the armour is either black for UP or grey for TL.

The difference in armour between the two powers is that Legion soldiers are using an older, outdated version which has structural weaknesses. The vulnerable points are no secret. They are around the lower abdominals, the shoulder region and just above the knee cap (thus many wonder what the point of the knee-guard is; in its defense, however, it is to be noted that it protects the lower parts of the knee without a fault).

Again, snipers have slight variations in their gear. It is made of lighter alloys, thus allowing its wearer to move faster and for longer periods of time. They are also equipped with more ration packs, so that they can preform long-range scouting missions. Camouflage kits are available to Terran League forces, but they are considered too much of a hassle to be issued in the United Planets Legion. Only elite operatives enjoy them.

The Terran League outfit their soldiers with a personal communication unit (PCU), which has two channels: one directly to the squad leader and one general, to be used between squad members. Legion members have to rely on the old-fashioned way of barking out orders. However, squad leaders (in the faces of sergeants or higher) have a channel to their direct commanding officer. The signal is less than pristine and it is often times blocked by TL jamming devices.

Field-medics and soldiers (only in the Terran League) are given first aid kits which can hold a number of items. In the Legion, they contain only the most simple of supplies. Bandages, a strong antiseptic, a small dosage of First Aid Paste (FAP for short, the subject of many less than appropriate jokes) which is used to clot blood and close wounds on the spot, and a small array of serums.

Accessories vary as well, especially in the Legion, depending on regiment and availability. A water and pressure resistant watch is issued (although how resistant they actually are is a subject of debate for the soldiers), along with various odds and ends. Some lucky few receive grenades which can turn the tide in a pitched assault. Most have a "bullet-maker" which is used on the field to shape debris into suitable forms for the PFR clip.

The exception to the these are the Legion Recruits, most commonly known as "greens". They are provided with second-hand weapons, reclaimed from dead legionaries. Their name derives from the green combat suit they are given, the only thing it offers protection from is the elements and even that is questionable. They also wear a signature green beret, bearing the UP's insignia. That is all these men and women are provided for the first few (and often last) hours of their combat lives. Once a recruit "graduates" (that is, surviving) they are issued the gear that is due to them.

Weapons

Spoiler:

Multi-Role Engineer's Tool Kit (MET)

Spoiler:

ALEXANDRIA [ALX]

The planet of Alexandria was one of the first worlds to be settled after the initial colonisation rush. Like others of its kind, it was far away from traditional human space and only the advances in jumpgate technology allowed man to set foot on it. It has a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere with traces of argon, thus making it perfectly suited for humans. The resemblance to Earth doesn't end there - Alexandria has a similar climate, with four pronounced seasons and ice caps at the poles. What's more, it had a wealth of metals underneath its surface. All this made it a prime target for colonisation.

It started out as a mining world, mostly funded by a few cartels from Earth. It was originally named Hope, the name Alexandria came much later. After the first few generations passed, more and more people flocked to the planet. And it wasn't only miners and their families. Its habitable climate made it a popular stop for expeditions and it wasn't long before the first jumpgates were constructed in its system.

In time, it became the capital of the frontier worlds, boasting numerous trade routes and a rapidly growing population. Seeing as it occupied a key position, serving as a gateway between the systems surrounding Earth and the "frontier", the military were quick to take note of it. They established a base on its moon, Ares, which quickly became the headquarters of fleets and armies on that side of human space.

After communication with Earth was lost, Alexandria was one of the first to send out expeditions to other colonies. They were also instrumental in the creation of the Treaty a couple of decades later. And after that, the first ships that went to Earth passed through its jumpgates. All in all, this secured its role as a dominant power in the galaxy, even after the loss of Earth. It was around this time that it was given the name it carries to this day.

In the years following the Treaty and before the founding of the United Planets, Alexandria continued improving its economic potential. It was an industrial powerhouse, exporting materials to be used in the constructions of ships to computers to household items. During the founding of the Terran League, Alexandria received many invites to join the alliance. However, the planet was now firmly in the military's fist and all such advances were rejected.

Once the United Planets were founded, many assumed that Alexandria would be the capital. However, the planet Victoria received that honour, due to the fact that it had a more central position in regards to UP space. Regardless, Alexandria remained one of the pillars of the United Planets, both political and economical. On the nearby moon, the Legion trained its recruits in low-gravity fighting. In its neighbouring system, the Iron Shipyards (as they were known) hungrily devoured all sorts of metals and turned them into mighty ships, fueling the UP's war-machine.

During the war with the League, Alexandria was famed for the quality of its weapons and the fighting spirit of its regiments. "Alexandria's Finest" was an army instrumental in the assaults and defenses of many worlds and it continued to exist for more than a century before it was finally decimated. When the outer ring of worlds was conquered and the League moved into the inner reaches of UP space, Alexandria was one of the first to be attacked. The year was 1321 AT and the fighting on and around it raged for a decade. During this time, more than 60% of the the planet's structures were destroyed (owed as much to the TL, as to the UP) and many of its people were evacuated.

When the TL were beaten back, Alexandria was quick to get back on its feet. However, it would never be the same again. The Iron Shipyards had fallen in League hands, most jumpgates led to devastated or conquered planets and the facilities on nearby Ares were ravaged. The assault came from the Normandy system, which had fallen to the League some 30 years ago. The problem for the UP was obvious: the next assault would come and nothing could be done about it. They piled what ships they could, remnants of different fleets and created "First Alexandria Fleet, the Defenders". The fleet was position mainly around the jump gate, anticipating TL arrival.

And it came soon enough, in 1340 AT the first wave of invaders came. They were beaten back with ease, but it only proved to be a scouting party. When the real assault came a few days later, the UP defensive ring was torn. Fast TL ships made their way to the planet, launching a series of strikes at military complexes and the remaining factories. Seeing where the situation was going, the United Planets quickly evacuated what remained of the civilian population. Those who wished to stay and fight were given the chance (and their numbers were many), the others were transported via the jumpgates while the system was still under UP control.

In 1342 AT, the current year, the situation has changed little. The planet and the system as a whole is still closely contested and it seems that it will continue to be this way for at least another decade, unless the overall direction of the war shifts. The planet is mostly under UP control, although the TL have managed to gain a few footholds and turn them into forward bases. The moon of Ares is where the majority of First Fleet (along with survivors from other fleets and what reinforcements are periodically sent) is located. Despite sustaining heavy damage during the first assault, it still boasts a powerful planetary defense system. This makes it to be an unlikely target any time soon, the losses would be substantial for the TL. Strategists on both sides have claimed that while Alexandria remains in UP hands, so will its moon.

Most of the jumpgates are under League control, their most important one being the Normandy's. That is where their forces are concentrated and from where they periodically receives a fresh flow of supplies and troops. On the other side, quite close to Ares is the one leading to the Thor system. From there, a stream of new recruits and much needed provisions slowly trickles. After the ill-prepared Thor, Victoria itself comes - making Alexandria the last true bastion of the United Planets. If it it falls, they will really be up against the wall.

[Blackrock]

Suggested Roles [RLS]

Here are the roles that members can chose to be in the squad. Of course, if you have a different idea send me a PM and we can work it in. Don't limit yourself to what I've written below if you don't want to.

Squad Leader -> This is typically a sergeant, who is in charge of the squad. It is their task to rely orders received from the platoon leader on to the men and to oversee their tactical execution. They are directly subordinate to their platoon leader and can only receive orders from them. The squad leader is responsible for the gear, rations and safety of the men and women under their command. They are also tasked with assigning a second-in-command of the squad. (see below)

[This position will be assumed by me, as it will best allow me to move the plot along.]

Second-in-command -> Held by a corporal. In a newly formed squad, this position is vacant until the squad leader deems one of the soldiers worthy. Upon receiving it, a notice is sent to the platoon leader and the private is promoted to a corporal. (although rare, the platoon leader can overrule the decision) They are tasked with helping the squad leader in their duties and can take on one or more, if ordered to. If the squad leader is killed, it is their job to assume command and see to it that the squad's task is carried out. Normally, this position is given to young, promising soldiers who can then move up the chain of command.

[Someone will be promoted to this position, as the story progresses. The factor determining who, will be based on how the characters preform, ICly, on the field and off.]


Marksman -> This is a sniper assigned to the squad. Their main tasks are reconnaissance and the elimination of important targets. (deemed so by either the squad or platoon leader). However, if the situation requires it, they can be sent off on their own, to either scout or assume a suitable sniping position. During their training course, all recruits have a chance to be picked as a marksman, depending on how they preform on the firing range. Once they have been designated for a sniper, they undergo an additional training period of six months, giving them a full year's worth of training. That is why superiors often regard newly-arrived marksmen as level-headed and cool, less likely to break than the average soldier.

Note: This role has been taken by Dio the Awesome.

Medic -> The medic's job is to stabilise injured squadmates, until the fighting is over or a medical team can come and take care of them. Due to the nature of their role, they often put themselves in the line of fire. Their training course is longer by 3 months (for a total of nine), during which they are taught basic knowledge in the fields of biology, chemistry and psychology.


Note: This role has been taken by Spectre.

Engineer -> Their main task consists of taking care of the squad's weaponry and armour. The foremost is, of course, making sure that all squadmates have enough ammunition. (as not all soldiers have "bullet-makers") Furthermore, they have to deal with damaged weaponry, if the soldier cannot repair it themselves, as well as making sure their armour is in, more or less, working condition. During their three month training course, they are taught skills in the fields of mechanics, computers and cybernetics.


Note: This role has been taken by DeadEye.

Heavy Weapons Expert -> Armed with their PFR-15H, their job is to take out any vehicles posing a threat to the squad. In other cases, they are typically tasked with providing covering fire and help screen attacks. They are also the most likely members of the squad to have grenades.

Note: This role has been taken by Elric Vhaan.

Rifleman -> The standard and most common role in the Legion. All recruits start out as potential riflemen and during their training may be designated for one role or the other, based on their superiors' observations. Most, however, show no feats of note and come out as the common rifleman. Their tasks can range from everything - attacking or defending, helping out other squad members; everything their squad leader deems fit. The average lifespan of a Legion rifleman is 3 days.

GM's Notes [NTS]

To-do list:
-Technology section
-Equipment section
-Timeline
-Roles
-Info on Alexandria

[Blackrock]

CHARACTER SHEETS [CSS]

Alex Richardson played by DeadEye

Angelica Raye Brooks played by Dio the Awesome

Benjamin O'Connel played by Elric Vhaan

Grace Marjorie Jennings played by Dominique

Kristoffer James Weiss played by Crimson Saint

Marcus Janus Delphi played by Spectre

Marek Zogin played by Blackrock

[Blackrock]

....And everything is pretty much done! I've added all the missing sections (apart from the timeline, that will come soon enough) and revised some of the original stuff. You can now start working on your characters, if you have any questions - shoot, I'm right here.

I'd like all those who are still interested to contact me in some way - either here or via PM - and let me know if you're starting on your character sheet. That way I can know how fast to work on mine and if there's still any interest AT ALL. Hey, I may end up with a ghost thread here, who knows?

[Dio the Awesome]

I am interest.

I'd like to know that a few more players are going to go through with this before I make a character, but the setting intrigues me. I'll check up on this tomorrow.

[Kail DeWraith]

I'm definitely interested. Especially with this not having such a demanding posting schedule (I can post maybe once or twice a week). Lets hope other people show interest.

[Blackrock]

Perfect. Another poster has contacted me via PM and is currently working on his character sheet, so that means we're 4 potential people for now. In addition, in the interest check thread 3 more people have expressed a desire to join.

I'll contact everyone and see where we come out, in regards to number of people.

[Dio the Awesome]

Question, is this supposed to be our first mission, or can we add a previous battle to our histories?

[Blackrock]

This is your first military mission, your characters are as green as it gets. Although you can still take into account civilian life struggles (gang warfare, mugging - you get the idea) or something interesting from the training sessions.

Edit: THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT! Sorry for failing to state it in my original posts, but here's the deal with recruit equipment. In the beginning, your characters will be provided with the basic green uniform and a standard, second-hand, PFR-15 rifle. Any specialised equipment comes later (a couple of IC posts down the line), once your characters prove themselves worthy of the investment.

[Dio the Awesome]

Name

Full Name: Angelica Raye Brooks

Use Name: Angel

Player: Dio The Awesome


Apperance and Gender

Gender: Female

Height and Build: 5' 7" and 130 pounds. She has a slim but firm build, giving her a lot of stamina, but not much brute strength.

Physical Description: Angelica has short, cropped blonde hair. This reveals her ears which used to contain several piercings, but which were removed after her recruitment. Few people see her dark blue eyes, because she usually wears sun glasses. She has a slim, hard face, and tiny lips. Her left arm ends just above her elbow, as the rest of her arm was lost during training. It has been replaced with a mid grade prostetic limb. It can do little aside from the most basic of arm movements, and has no finger control. In order to remain in a combat unit, the prostetic hand ends in a kind of holder she can lock her rifle into. There is a tattoo on the top right side of her chest of a skull belching smoke. Because of it's placement, when she is in uniform all you can see are the trails of smoke climbing her neck.

Equipment: Angelica wears the standard green uniform and armor of a standard recruit. Her weapon is of course the standard PFR-15. This second hand model sports a hollow spot, where a PFR round pierced the stock, and lodged itself into the chest of the previous owner; a grim reminder of what's in store. She also has a enviromental resistant watch in order to coordinate time with her CO when scouting. Angelica wear shades when not on a mission.


Skills & Personality

Desired Role: Sniper

Skills: Angelica is a civillian recruit who showed exceptional accuracy during her six months training, and was sent to the extended marksmanship program. There she proved to be a very good shot, and was sent to the front lines after her training. An unexpected side effect of losing her left arm, has been increased accuracy. When aiming her rifle, she is able to hold her arm perfectly still, making it act as a stand, rather than a limb she has to control. She is also a capable long distance runner, making her ideal for scouting, or running important orders.

Personality: Her focus and willpower make her an ideal sniper. Her temper rarely flares, and so she usually seems calm on the outside. This is good in battle, but makes her hard to relate to outside of combat. After her injury which cost her an arm, she has become increasingly withdrawn, but has still been able to pass her psyche evaluations flawlessly. Her anti-social nature has rubbed some new recruits the wrong way unfortuntely.


Biography

Angelica was born in 1320, and so grew up in a galaxy fully focused on warfare. She grew up on Alexandria, and from a young age was educated at the general school on her home planet. While there was no formal conscription, all young people at the time were pushed towards military school, which Angelica declined. Instead she decided to specialize in nano-surgery, repairing cells at the molocular level to fight new and unusual diseases from distant planets. It was her eye to detail, steady hands and focus which lead her to make this choice. After graduating top of her class, news of war crept into every conversation on Alexandria. She had barely completed her first year of medical residency when the TL invaded a neighboring planet, Monrovia, one of the few worlds left standing between the League and Alexandria. After word of the attack reached Alexandria, she joined the next wave of new recruits entering military service. The year was now 1340.

After six months, it was clear to the instructor that she would benifit from the marksmanship training. This delayed her first mission by six months, during which the League established control of over half the planet of Monrovia. During her final months of training, she suffered an injury in a live fire exercise. The exercise took place on one of the Legions specially designed training grounds. This particular one contained rubble and burnt out buldings designed to simulate house to house warefare, in case the enemy ever reached Alxeandria itself. As she was taking up position in the attic of one such building, she heard a loud rumble. One of the greener recruits had snuck a grenade into the excercise, which was considered dangerous, not to mention needlessly wasteful of limited resources. The grenade had mistakenly taken out the central support column of the building Angelica was stationed in, bringing down the enitre thing on top of her. For the most part she was uninjured, but when the smoke cleared she found her arm was crushed by a metal beam.

She was found by a medic who sawed her arm off with his bayonet. He applied FAP to stop the bleeding, and she was lifted onto an emergency vehicel. She lost consciousness on the way back. She awoke in a military hostpital where she was fitted with a prostetic limb. She was told later than the recruit who had caused her injury was court martialed and sent to a penial colony. Over the next year she was given intensive physical therapy, three psyche evaluations, and four months of refresher training. By the time she had recovered, the TL had already captured Monrovia and the fighting had reached her home world. She when back into recruitment, eager to protect her home.

---

Does this work? Oh, and I added a Desired Role category into the skills section.

[Blackrock]

Yep, it's perfect!

The desired role category is also something I overlooked, kudos for adding it.

[Dio the Awesome]

Can't wait to start. Your soilder is standing by at attention!

[Blackrock]

Bah, sorry that I haven't posted a CS myself yet. As a GM I'm setting a bad example! Thing is, last few days were busy and the weekend will be no different (in a more positive sense, however, thank God) - so expect my thing by Monday/Tuesday.

Still, I'll be around to answer questions and review people's character sheets, so don't fret!

[Dio the Awesome]

No worries, we all have lives.

Okay, some of us have lives. >.>

[Crimson Saint]

Name
Full Name: Kristoffer James Weiss
Use Name: Weiss
Player: Crimson Saint

Appearance
Gender: Male
Height and Build: 6 feet, 2 inches, 204 lbs. Large build, and quite muscular.
Physical Description: Kristoffer has black hair, which he keeps cut short, as is military norm. Kris has a rugged face with sharp, defined features. His eyes are bright blue - almost grey - set below a harsh brow. He usually has some level of stubble on his face, and often goes a few days at a time without shaving. All over Kristoffer's body are scars from his time before becoming a soldier, though he rarely shares the stories behind them. These things, combined with his large, muscular build make Kristoffer a rather intimidating person - something that matches his personality well.
Equipment: Basic Legion recruit gear - PFR-15 (recycled), and a basic green combat suit. Kristoffer also carries a large knife with a hollow handle (not provided by the Legion).

Skills & Personality
Desired Role: Rifleman
Skills: Quite skilled in melee combat (with and without a weapon). Kristoffer is also a good shot, with both a rifle and a pistol, but he prefers to get close to his enemy when possible.
Personality: Kristoffer is a man of few words - he prefers to let his knife do his talking. Among his allies, Kristoffer is often found quietly maintaining his gear. Once he hits the battlefield, Kristoffer is truly at home. He seems to have no qualms about killing - something which makes him seem heartless (he does little to debate against the notion), and even during training he made the other recruits uncomfortable.

Biography
Kristoffer was born in 1312 AT, on Icarus V - a colonized moon on the far side of UP space. Kris was the only son of a single mother, who became ill shortly after his birth. She did her best to provide for her son, but as Kris grew, she only got more sick. Kristoffer learned early on in life that he could help provide for his slowly dying mother by fighting. And so Kristoffer fought - at first it was against the local bullies, then on competitive sports teams, but that wasn't enough. Kristoffer had a burning desire within him to beat the hell out of anything rubbed him the wrong way. He started to fight in illegal, underground matches, and evenutally earned himself a reputation among a certain, less-than-reputable crowd. He faught wherever he saw a possible gain, and often just for the fun of it. The more he fought, the better a fighter he became. Eventually, Kristoffer attracted the eyes of a few powerful criminal organizations. They offered a good deal of money in exchange for Kris' "services". Kristoffer readily accepted, both to aid his ailing mother, and because it gave him a new reason to fight.

Not long after Kristoffer began working with these organizations, his mother died. Kristoffer was visibly affected, and many thought that it would mark the end of his fighting days. Instead, Kristoffer fought more than ever, and became more and more brutal. It seemed as though the one thing tying him to his own humanity had died. Eventually, the crime lords who had once hired him began to fear him, and they turned on him. They hired Kristoffer for one last job, but instead of covering his tracks as they usually did, they did what they could to make sure the authorities found him.

Kristoffer soon found himself caught between the most notorious criminals in the Icarus system and the unforgiving United Planets legal system. He managed to escape the authorities on Icarus V and retreat to a small trade outpost on a space station on the edge of the Daikan system. There he got back into underground fighting rings, but he kept a low profile as best as he could manage. Despite his efforts, however, he still attracted the attention of one of the system's drug lords, who became interested in using Kristoffer to his own ends. Not one to be fooled twice, Kristoffer refused the offers the crime boss made, regardless of how much money was thrown at him. Instead, Kristoffer turned to the UP law enforcement, offering the names of several of the sector's biggest crime lords in exchange for a lessened sentence. Reluctantly, the deal was made, and Kristoffer was sent to serve in a maximum security prison.

Not long after Kristoffer began his term at the prison, a riot broke out. Kristoffer aided the warden in subduing the prisoners, and was, both as thanks and for his own safety, moved to a specialized facility which focused on taking "promising" convicts and giving them military training, in hopes of adding to the Legions waning numbers. While there, Kristoffer showed a natural skill at combat, and a willingness to comply to orders. Soon, Kristoffer found himself preparing for the long trip to Ares, then on to Alexandria.

[Dio the Awesome]

Hehe, we'll get along fine, two silent soilders. Now all we need is a loud mouth pretty boy and we're all set. :p

[Crimson Saint]

Yay for predictable archetypes!!!

[Blackrock]

Name
Full Name: Marek Zogin
Use Name: Sarge (mostly used by subordinates), Sergeant, Zogin
Player: Blackrock

Appearance and Gender
Gender: Male
Height and Build: 6'1, well-built, but not overly muscular.
Physical Description: Marek's face is best described as bland, nothing really stands out. He has a low forehead crossed by a few lines, giving the impression that it is locked in a permanent frown. Underneath his slightly arched eyebrows, his unremarkable brown eyes can be seen. They are keen, intelligent, but appear distant - as if the man would rather be somewhere else. His short nose is somewhat crooked, it may have been broken once or twice. A pair of cracked, thin lips are positioned below it. His jaw and chin are wide, but his cheeks are not as full as one would assume. Marek's black hair is showing signs of his age or, perhaps, stress - it is already greying in places. The same is true for his beard, which is most frequently completely shaved or closely cropped, as per military regulations. All this gives him the appearance of a veteran, as few soldiers live to see the snow in their hair.

Equipment: Marek carries the standard uniform of the United Planets' soldier. A black combat jumpsuit, with black armour worn over it. Upon closer inspection one would notice that, while it is kept in top-shape, it bears the signs of much use; namely - shrapnel marks, a multitude of scratches and even a few lodged bullets. His PFR-15 is standard issue as well; like his armour - it also looks to have been in more than a few battles. Marek always wears his balaclava during combat, and sometimes even when things are quiet.

His accessories are, likewise, not much different from the average soldier's. He has one of the standard watches, as well as a "bullet-maker" suited for creating both PFR-15 and PFR-15H projectiles. Apart from the bayonet, he has an additional combat knife, a gift from one of his former battalion commanders. It is made of a number of high-grade alloys and is much sturdier than what is fielded by typical Legion troops. Finally, what sets him apart from others and marks him as a squad leader is a PCU, providing a direct link to his platoon commander.

On his helmet and breastplate, the United Planets' insignia is proudly displayed. In addition, below it the mark of his regiment stands - two crossed bullets and a skull in the background. Of further note are the five wound chevrons he has on his right sleeve - three red for minor injuries; and two gold for heavy.

Skills & Personality
Desired Role: Squad Leader
Skills: Marek is proficient with a rifle and a pistol, having an above-average score with both; although he is far more comfortable with the former. He has received hand-to-hand combat training, as well as thorough training with the use of a bayonet. Due to the nature of his military schooling, the skills taught to him exceed those of the voluntary recruits. He is a good runner and boasts considerable endurance. However, age is catching up with him and he may find it hard to keep-up with younger soldiers.

Personality: The sergeant is a stern and disciplined man, having grown up in a military atmosphere from a relatively young age. He can be considered somewhat of a perfectionist - expecting the best from his men; but he will never demand more than their limit can handle. Unlike many other, usually younger commanders, he does not share the enthusiasm or idealism so hotly preached in the Legion. During the time spent serving his nation, he has come to understand the folly of their "holy war". As a result, Marek is more concerned with the lives and well-being of the soldiers around him, rather than some abstract ideal.

Biography
Marek was born in 1308 AT on the capital world of Victoria. Like all of the planet's inhabitants he grew up in an environment rife with nationalism and pride. Victorians viewed themselves as the United Planets' truest defenders and the worthiest of soldiers. Seeing that they lived on the capital of their mighty nation, the number of volunteers willing to die for that cause was astounding. It was estimated that every third person born on that world was enlisted in the Legion.

The future sergeant was no different. After his birth, Marek's father joined the Legion, knowing that his blood would live on even if he were to die. This left Marek in the care of his mother, a hard-working, honest woman deeply devoted to the nation. When Marek was five years old, they received word that his father had been killed on some distant world. The blow was not as harsh as it seems, for the child was already accustomed to living with one parent. While his mother knew that her husband would likely not return.

Not surprisingly and true to the Victorian tradition, after graduating General School Marek moved on as a cadet in the 23rd Military School. He was a strong student in his early years, quickly grasping mathematics and physics, as well as tactical and logistical concepts. Unfortunately, he became lax as he came into his teens and by the age of fifteen he was dismissed. However, his superiors still saw some potential in him and sent him to be trained as a sergeant.

Three years later, in 1326 AT, Marek graduated with respectable grades as a junior sergeant. His first assignment was in a platoon, which fought during the First Alexandria Campaign. During the four or so years spent there, he switched units a few times, mostly due to their destruction. At the end of the fighting he was promoted to a sergeant and awarded a medal for his bravery. He received two light injuries during this time, one to the right arm and one in the leg.

In the following years he was assigned at a few military bases, took part in isolated fights for outposts and participated in the ill-fated Monrovia campaign. As fate would have it, he returned to Alexandria in 1341 AT where he was once more forced to defend the familiar ruins. At that time, Marek joined his current regiment - the 107th Alexandrian. He served as a platoon sergeant for a couple of months, after which he was given command of a squad. However, some time ago - he was tasked with forming a new unit and now Marek is awaiting the arrival of the next wave of recruits.

[Blackrock]

And my CS is done as well. We're three now - two quiet soldiers and a stern bastard for a sergeant...way to go guys

[Dio the Awesome]

In your bio, did you mean 1341?

[Blackrock]

Of course I meant 1341 AT....dunno how that managed to slip by my proof-reading. Thanks for pointing it out!

Speaking of which, I apologise for the many typos in my posts; I keep discovering more and more as I re-read them. I usually don't allow such things, but somehow I've grown lax in the past few weeks. Sorrrrryyy.

[Dio the Awesome]

It's awwwwwww good.

So, how many people do you want before we start?

[Blackrock]

I was planning on 4 (myself included) - it's a nice round number, but ideally I was hoping for five or even six. At three I think we are still too few to put things into action, but if nothing changes in the coming week or so we may just start things if you guys are up for it. New characters will have an easy time joining the RP, especially in the early stages - so I see no problem there.

[Crimson Saint]

I, for one, am very excited to see this thing get going!

[Dio the Awesome]

I suggest we try and get something started after Christmas, since this is a slow period for Roleplaying anyways, we might be able to pick up another player or two then.

[Blackrock]

Yeah, I was thinking on writing up something for this week but really - 1) as you said, it's always been a slow period in all online communities I've been in; 2) I myself am not quite certain how much free time I'll have.

So as it stands now, this thing is still on hold but I'm already starting work on an introductory post, so once Christmas has come and gone, you can definitely expect something to pop up.

[Dio the Awesome]

That sounds good.

[Guest]

Name
Full Name:Benjamin O'Connel
Use Name: Quick Ben
Player: Elric Vhaan

Apperance and Gender
Gender:Male
Height and Build: Ben is six feet eight inches and heavily built.
Physical Description: Ben has a slightly large nose that has evidence of being broken several times. He has thin lips and rounded by square jaw with a few light scars on both cheeks. However these scars are covered by the scraggly and short beard he wears. A genetic defect has random streaks of white in his hair, but it does not look like age, but rather vanity. His brown eyes and general appearance give him a youthful appearance at odds with his height and musculature. He has scars covering his body, highlighted by the dark tan he has for training. His hands and feet are heavily callused from training and fighting.

Equipment: Benjamin wears a looted second hand armor. It was a present from a friend, a rookie who became paralyzed during training. It is slightly better quality than normal as the rookie, Alice, was a skilled mechanic, but only as far as joint mobility goes. The green jumpsuit is already stained with blood and dirt from a 'friendly' match with his drill sergeant. He carries two non standard items, a multitool with both mechanical and electronic (magnetic) lockpicks, and a set of non-standard mechanical power boots that he 'acquired' from his veteran drill sergeant. Benjamin has also acquired a second bayonet and a heavy weapons utility vest if not the equipment attached to it.

Skills & Personality
Desired Role: Heavy weapons
Skills: Ben has the skills to become a professional fighter in both boxing and mixed martial arts competitions. He has a natural talent for explosions that mixed well with his ability to break into a complex without being noticed. Ben also has basic knowledge of electronics and computer programming.

Personality: Ben is primarily motivated either by pride or provocation. Ben is usually laid back, but has a host of pet peeves that irritate him. He thrives on small amounts of chaos and plays numerous practical jokes on those around him. He has a somewhat magnetic personality, but a bad temper. He loves a challenge and hates sympathy most of the time. Finally, his behavior is a bit erratic after the death of his father.


Biography
Benjamin O'Connel is the son of a middle ranked officer in the medical corps, Lieutenant Colonel William O'Connel [KIA] and a former first sergeant, Mary O'Connel [retired]. William O'Connel is a well known trauma surgeon known for improving team coordination and has a genial if serious personality. This is serious contrast to his son, and occasionally caused family issues.


Benjamin was born on 1320 AT on planet Connaught, at the capital city Grainne's naval military hospital, one of the UP's smaller hubs for naval building and development. As a mid size base not far from the shifting line of war, it is faced with sporadic raids. His initial aptitude tests showed that Benjamin had top rate spatial awareness, adaptability and neurological development. His eyesight and reaction time were both adequate for becoming a pilot. He enrolled in the Cleary Academy for prospective pilots and naval officers at the age four. Despite frequent attention from both parents and encouragement to do well, Benjamin showed a distinct lack of discipline in both work ethic and temper in check. Native ability and intelligence was sufficient to keep him in an accelerated program until the age of ten when continuing problems led to expulsion from Cleary Academy.

A transfer to Sanderson Academy was deemed suitable in hopes of channeling his aggressive attitude in a more harsh fashion. The commandant in charge of Sanderson noted numerous practical jokes, including cherry bombs and tear gas incidents, breaking and entering into both other students and instructor's living quarters and levaing pranks and fighting with other cadets. This lead to his expulsion from the military academy at the age of fourteen, 1334 AT, despite the Commandant's suggestion of practical training for the Cadet as a method of teaching more effective to restless students. The regulations at the time did not allow such training, although Commandant Shawn Henderson later implemented the policies outlined with great success later that decade.

William O'Connel's connections allowed his son to undergo some private tutoring before a personal falling out at the age of sixteen. Details remain unknown for why, but Benjamin cut his ties with his family, cutting short a promising career as a professional boxer or MMA specialist.

Benjamin O'Connel managed to obtain a job at a well-known construction and demolition company run by retired Major David Tyler. Ben was initially working as a low level basic construction and demolition grunt, but one of the former combat engineers, Alexander Daryll to a liking to Benjamin and trained him as an assistant. Benjamin currently has good reviews with his foreman.

Benjamin has continued his training in martial combat since his expulsion from the military academy. While Benjamin doesn't have enough money to train as a professional fighter, he is a well-known sparring partner for a variety highly ranked trainers and fighters for his ability to hit and take a hit. His temper however has been known to snap, and one incidence saw the hospitalization of his opponent when he began to fight outside of the rules.

Benjamin joined the military when his father was killed during transport to organize and head the trauma unit in a newly commissioned station around the meteor belt. He was still estranged from his family and did not attend the funeral, but instead enlisted immediately.

His training showed continued aptitude in martial arts. His strength and speed from previous training was enhanced and polished and ranked him one of the top potential recruits for elite operations. Continued discipline issues and a personal conflict with his drill sergeant made such a course impossible. His raw strength and affinity for chaos and destruction also proposed him for either a combat engineering training or heavy weapons position. A slight pension for pyromania suggests a close combat heavy weapons specialty would be more appropriate. One last incident to note was the drill sergeant reporting both his underwear and his armored combat boots missing immediately after O'Connel's graduation.

[Blackrock]

Welcome aboard, Elric!

On a different note - I'm holding off this thing for a few more days. Two other people contacted me and said that they are working on their character sheets, so I'm more inclined to wait for them instead of rushing things. Besides, New Year is just around the corner and I anticipate people are going to be busy anyway.

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